SS and Life Debt again

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 150178

> <snip>

>Neri:
>The Life Debt I
>suspect,  is the Potterverse magical representation of remorse. It
>forces itself on  Snape the same way that RL remorse can "force" itself
>on us. The fact  that throughout the series Snape repeatedly fails in
>repaying his Debt  strongly suggests that he still denies his remorse.
>
>Snape seems  to treat the Debt as a mechanistic magic – if he just
>manages to repay it  he'll be free and can choose Voldemort's side
>again.  <snip>


Nikkalmati:
I wrote a longer post to this but lost it  Maybe it is for the best .<g>.  It 
comes down to I respect the  symmetry of the LID Snape theory, but it seems 
to be just an attempt to explain  away any action which would support DDMSnape, 
not really a theory in  itself.  As long as PP is not bound to help and save 
Harry in the same way  as LIDSnape, I can't buy it.  The theory has to be 
consistent.  Note  that P cuts Harry, ties up Harry and assists in bring to life a 
man who is going  to kill Harry - right now.  This behavior is by a man who 
owes Harry a  direct personal life debt, not a second-hand transferred life 
debt from  James.

>Neri:
>But if so, how do you explain Snape stopping the  Occlumency lessons
>because of, as Dumbledore himself admits, his feelings  about James?
>How do you explain Snape refusing even to hear Sirius' story  before he
>turns both him and Lupin in to the dementors for a fate worse  than
>death? The view of Snape as a person who does not care about  feelings,
>only about saving lives, simply doesn't work with the  canon.

Nikkalmati:
I don't see how anyone can blame SS for stopping  the Occlumency lessons.  We 
know Harry did not want to learn Occlumency; he  wanted the dreams to 
continue so he could learn what was behind the door in the  MOM.  He didn't practice; 
 he lied to HG when he told her he was  practicing on his own because he had 
been given permission by SS.  He  ignored Sirius and Lupin when they told him 
he must tell DD he was not taking  lessons any more.

Harry's behavior with the Pensive was outrageous.   How would you react if 
you left a teenager in your office and came back to find  him going through your 
desk reading your letters?  Oh wait! It is  worse.  Harry knew the memories 
had been placed in the Pensive just so he  would not see them.  (Even if SS 
intentionally left Harry there, he should  not and cannot be excused for looking 
in the Pensive and, by the way, confirming  SS's bad opinion of Harry).  SS 
had every reason to throw Harry out as  untrustworthy.  If SS is to be blamed 
for anything here, it would be for  not telling DD, and I am not sure he didn't 
tell him.  
Another thought:  DD tells Harry he was mistaken in thinking SS could  put 
aside his hatred of James and teach Harry (more or less, not an actual  quote).  
I wonder if DD is speculating here because he lacks crucial  information.  
Maybe SS never told DD what Harry did.  Maybe he just  told DD he wasn't going 
to put up with Harry's attitude or maybe DD learned in  some other way that 
Harry was not getting lessons (after it was too late) and  never knew about the 
Pensive incident at  all. 

>Neri
>It's James who is the consistent example of  valuing lives over
>feelings. Even when he bullies Snape he uses harmless  jinxes in
>response to Snape's potentially lethal curse. He saves Snape's  life
>despite (or maybe because) the feelings between them. And  Dumbledore,
>who knew James well, ensures Harry that James would have  spared
>Peter's life too.

Nikkalmati
I am not sure this jinx is  so harmless since this is SS's worse memory and 
Sirius tells Harry this sort of  thing went on continuously while they were in 
school.  As for the cut, if  this was the cutting curse we see used on Draco, 
we know it can cut a boy  open.  I would say, SS was very restrained.  We know 
why Harry spared  PP; it was so his father's friends would not become 
murderers.  SS  attributes a similar motive to James; it was so he or his friends 
would not be  expelled for murder.

Nikkalmati (Who doesn't think SS is a fluffy bunny  or even nice, but thinks 
he should be judged fairly and in a way consistent with  canon)







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